PIPELINE ROUTE THROUGH CARBON COUNTY

The proposed PennEast Pipeline enters Carbon County through State Game Lands No. 40 in Kidder Township and continues through Hickory Run State Park, which is one of DCNR’s top-rated Pennsylvania state parks. Hickory Run State Park has three designated natural areas in the northeast section of the park, all of which will be impacted, either directly or indirectly, by the PennEast Pipeline. The Boulder Field Natural Area is a National Natural Landmark globally recognized for its unique geological properties and often cited in scientific research on glacial habitats. The Mud Swamp Natural Area is an emergent wetland with characteristics more common to boreal areas far to the north, and Mud Run is a Class A wild trout stream with a viable population of native brook trout. These areas are very susceptible to climate change. There are already two existing pipelines and a power line right-of-way in the northeast section of the park within a kilometer of the Boulder Field Natural Area. It appears from the topographic maps submitted by PennEast they will not be sharing one of the existing rights-of-way but have chosen to clear a new right-of-way situated even closer to the natural areas, destroying the beauty of this remote area and opening more pathways for invasive plant and animal species to invade and alter the ecologies of the natural areas.

Leaving Hickory Run State Park, the PennEast Pipeline is routed through natural, undisturbed lands adjacent to the Jack Frost and Big Boulder ski resorts, and then through Penn Forest Township and a section of Weiser State Forest.

The pipeline route continues southward adjacent to the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and then cuts across three miles of watershed forests owned by the Bethlehem Municipal Water Authority near reservoirs, dams and other infrastructure that supplies the city of Bethlehem with clean water.

After crossing water main pipes leading from the reservoirs and historic, preserved farmland, the PennEast Pipeline slices through Beltzville State Park just east of the confluence of Wild Creek and Pohopoco Creek at the inlet to Beltzville Lake. By crossing these tributaries near the inlet, the pipeline puts both streams, as well as the main body of the lake, at risk for increased sedimentation and pollution. The heavily forested parkland between the two tributaries is a popular hiking area with dense stands of old-growth hemlocks, steep ravines, waterfalls, and stunning views of Wild Creek Cove. The proposed PennEast Pipeline will cut through this section, fragmenting the forest and disrupting a network of popular hiking trails.

Leaving Beltzville State Park the PennEast Pipeline continues in a southeasterly direction crossing watershed lands of the Aquashicola Creek---home to federally endangered bog turtles---in Lower Towamensing Township. The PennEast Pipeline crosses the Aquashicola Creek at the base of Kittatiny Ridge heading into State Game Lands No. 168. This crossing is very close to the so-called “Alpine Property” that was a subject of controversy recently when developers proposed building a racetrack along the Kittatiny Ridge in Monroe County. After a twelve-year battle led by The Blue Mountain Preservation Association, The Wildlands Conservancy, and many other conservation groups the development proposal was defeated. The disputed land was incorporated into State Game Lands No. 168 and is now administered by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Shortly after the settlement a naturalist exploring the area discovered a species of dragonfly never before cataloged in Pennsylvania. The Brook Snaketail Dragonfly (Ophiogompus asperus) requires a very specific habitat and high quality streams such as that provided by the Aquashicola Creek and its floodplain to breed and survive. Other rare insects have since been found in the vicinity, but their future might now be at stake as the proposed PennEast Pipeline will cut straight through the heart of State Game Lands No. 168, degrading water quality and clearing habitat as it goes.

At the top of the Kittatiny Ridge near the Blue Mountain Ski Resort the PennEast Pipeline route slices through the Appalachian Trail Corridor before leaving Carbon County and entering Northampton County on the southern slope of the Kittatiny Ridge.

PennEast wants a 400 foot survey corridor and a 50 foot permanent easement all along the route of their proposed pipeline through private property, watersheds, state parks, forests and game-lands. If they are given what they want, they will permanently remove trees and other vegetation all along the route and use toxic chemicals to prevent future growth. We must prevent this unnecessary devastation of our environment.